HEAdesigns Knives

HEAdesigns is a relatively new company in the high-end, low-volume production knife and EDC market.  Still a fairly small operation right now, HEAdesigns is setting itself up for a future full of success.  The brand gets its name from the initials of the original founder (aka “Sam”), as he prefers, and he says it’s a nod of respect towards his Father.  It’s still early in the life of this growing brand, though they have a lot of experience to back it all up.  With the philosophy of Design Different, HEAdesigns is poised to shock and delight with future products!

Meet Sam

Sam got his start in the knife making game selling individual, fully custom knives, out of his modest shop in New Jersey.  Rewinding even further, we glean from his bio on HEAdesigns’ website that Sam has always had a knack for all things pocket-related.  Even as a young thinker, Sam kept with him a notebook in which he was able to scribble and sketch his ideas and his dreams.  Over a decade’s worth of experience and an engineering degree later, Sam finally felt he’d graduated to the level where he could effectively offer the world his greatest ideas.

A dedicated knife-nut, Sam is able to connect with his consumers, and lives by a code of honor built upon earning a place in your pocket.  In his own words: “I am a designer at heart and everything starts with you guys! I observe, ask, analyse, [and] take it all in from all the sources and try to think what the coolest thing I can do looks like…no restrictions”  This attitude of having both a duty to his audience and out-of-the-box creativity makes Sam a true standout among makers and earns him a lot of respect, at least from me.  He went on to say: “You deserve that – and it’s my responsibility to make something you’re proud to carry”.  I love his sense of ownership of his products and what he stands for.  Needless to say, Sam is a great guy who deserves your attention, at the very least, so he can earn your purchase.

The products

The pickings are slim as of now, but Sam has shared with me some awesome plans for the future, so we’ll keep you updated throughout 2017 and beyond.  Until then, we have two awesome choices from Sam:

The Sabertooth

While not a knife, the Sabertooth manages to carve a place for itself in the knife-enthusiast market.  A titanium frame-lock flipper at its core, the Sabertooth is easily mistaken for a top-tier midtech folder.  It’s not until you tug the tab only to hear the harmonious ring of thin titanium prongs that you’re exposed to the reality of this concoction.  Every guy’s gotta deal with that hair somehow, might as well do it in style!

The Equilibrium

We have a full review of the Equilibrium here, but in short, this knife is the coolest little pocket Scimitar money can buy.  With a strangely unique design but equally strange level of utility, the Equilibrium is sure to brighten up every collection, and won’t disappoint when it’s cuttin’ time.  At $300, the asking price is no joke, but don’t let the crazy design fool you, this is a purists’ titanium flipper through and through

What’s next

The future for HEAdesigns is bright.  If what I’ve seen in my talks with them is any indication, 2017 should hold some great surprises, and the momentum is only growing.  I have to imagine that as the product count grows, so too will the company’s influence and employee numbers (currently totalling a modest one).  The Equilibrium didn’t have to try too hard to land a place in my personal collection, and I expect nothing less of what’s to come.

This hobby has exploded in the last few years, and we’re at a point in the market where big brands in the US are cutting corners, machine costs and material costs are being driven down, and there’s room for smaller makers and brands to wriggle their way into the market, but it takes something special.  Sam’s philosophy and his current designs prove that he has what it takes to fit the bill.  We’ll keep you posted as the brand grows and we are able to reveal what’s next.